The fall of the Berlin Wall brought together not only one nation, but also families separated by borders. This event marked the unification of the nation. The slogans at the demonstrations were: "We are one people." The year of the fall of the Berlin Wall is considered to be the year of the beginning of a new life in Germany.
Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall, whose construction began in 1961, symbolized the end of the Cold War. During the construction, wire fences were first stretched, which later grew into a 5-meter concrete fortification, supplemented by watchtowers and barbed wire. The main purpose of the wall is to reduce refugees from the GDR to West Berlin (before that, 2 million people had already managed to move). The wall stretched for several hundred kilometers. The indignation of the FRG and the GDR was transferred to Western countries, but no protests or rallies could influence the decision to install the fence.
28 years behind the fence
The Berlin Wall stood for a little over a quarter of a century - 28 years. During this time, three generations were born. Of course, many were unhappy with thisthe state of things. People aspired to a new life, from which they were separated by a wall. One can only imagine what they felt for her - hatred, contempt. The inhabitants were imprisoned, as if in a cage, and they tried to escape to the west of the country. However, according to official figures, about 700 people were shot dead in the process. And these are just documented cases. Today, you can also visit the Berlin Wall Museum, which keeps stories of the tricks people had to resort to in order to overcome it. For example, one child was literally catapulted by his parents through the fence. One family was airlifted.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall - 1989
The communist regime of the GDR fell. It was followed by the fall of the Berlin Wall, the date of this high-profile incident is 1989, November 9th. These events immediately provoked a reaction from the people. And joyful Berliners began to destroy the wall. In a very short time, most of the pieces became souvenirs. November 9 is also called the "Festival of all Germans". The fall of the Berlin Wall was one of the most notorious events of the 20th century and was taken as a sign. In the same 1989, no one knew yet what course of events was prepared by fate. Erich Honecker (leader of the GDR) at the beginning of the year claimed that the wall would stand for at least another half a century, or even a whole century. The opinion that it is indestructible dominated both among the ruling circles and among ordinary residents. However, May of that year showed the opposite.
The fall of the Berlin Wall - how it happened
Hungary removed its "wall" with Austria, and therefore there was no point in the Berlin Wall. According to eyewitnesses, even a few hours before the fall, many still did not suspect what would happen. A huge mass of people, when the news about the simplification of the access control reached her, moved to the wall. The border guards on duty, who did not have an order for precise actions in this situation, made an attempt to push the people back. But the pressure of the inhabitants was so great that they had no choice but to open the border. On this day, thousands of West Berliners came out to meet the East Berliners to meet them and congratulate them on their “liberation”. November 9 was indeed a national holiday.
15th anniversary of destruction
In 2004, marking the 15th anniversary of the destruction of the symbol of the Cold War, a large-scale ceremony dedicated to the opening of the Berlin Wall monument was held in the German capital. It is the restored part of the former fence, but now its length is only a few hundred meters. The monument is located where there used to be a checkpoint called "Charlie", which served as the main connection between the two parts of the city. Here you can also see 1065 crosses erected in memory of those who were killed from 1961 to 1989 for trying to escape from Eastern Germany. However, there is no exact information about the number of those killed, because different resources report completely different data.
25th anniversary
9On November 2014, Germans celebrated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The festive event was attended by German President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel. Foreign guests also visited it, including Mikhail Gorbachev (former president of the USSR). On the same day, a concert and a solemn meeting took place in the Konzerthaus hall, which was also attended by the President and the Federal Chancellor. Mikhail Gorbachev expressed his opinion on the events that took place, saying that Berlin is saying goodbye to the wall, because a new life and history are ahead. On the occasion of the holiday, an installation of 6880 luminous balls was installed. In the evening, they, filled with gel, flew away into the darkness of the night, being a symbol of the destruction of the barrier and separation.
European reaction
The fall of the Berlin Wall, the unification of Germany became an event that the whole world was talking about. A large number of historians argue that the country would have come to unity, if at the end of the 80s, as it happened, then a little later. But this process was inevitable. Before that, there were lengthy negotiations. By the way, Mikhail Gorbachev, who advocated the unity of Germany (for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize), also played a role. Although some assessed these events from a different point of view - as a loss of geopolitical influence. Despite this, Moscow has demonstrated that it can be trusted to negotiate complex and rather fundamental issues. It is worth noting that some leaders of Europe were against the reunification of Germany, for example,Margaret Thatcher (British Prime Minister) and Francois Mitterrand (French President). Germany in their eyes was a political and economic competitor, as well as an aggressor and military adversary. They were concerned about the reunification of the German people, and Margaret Thatcher even tried to convince Mikhail Gorbachev to back down from his position, but he was adamant. Some European leaders saw Germany as a future enemy and frankly feared him.
The end of the Cold War?
After November, the wall was still standing (it was not completely destroyed). And in the mid-nineties, it was decided to demolish it. Only a small "segment" was left intact in memory of the past. The world community perceived the day of the fall of the Berlin Wall as a connection not only for Germany. And all of Europe.
The fall of the Berlin Wall Putin, while still an employee of the KGB office in the GDR, supported, as well as the unification of Germany. He also starred in a documentary film dedicated to this event, which could be seen at the premiere on the 20th anniversary of the reunification of the German people. By the way, it was he who persuaded the demonstrators not to smash the building of the KGB representative office. Putin V. V. was not invited to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the collapse of the wall (Medvedev D. A. was present at the 20th anniversary) - after the "Ukrainian events" many world leaders, like Angela Merkel, who acted as the hostess of the meeting, considered his presence inappropriate.
The fall of the Berlin Wall was a good sign for the whole world. However, toUnfortunately, history shows that fraternal peoples can be protected from each other even without tangible walls. "Cold wars" exist between states in the 21st century.
